Shalulile comes off the bench to rescue Sundowns' Champions League dream in Kinshasa

Mamelodi Sundowns staged a thrilling late comeback to snatch a 2-1 victory over Maniema Union in Kinshasa at Stade des Martyrs on Saturday, reigniting their CAF Champions League campaign.

The hero of the day? Peter Shalulile, who came off the bench to orchestrate a dramatic turnaround.

After last week's disappointment against Raja Casablanca, Sundowns entered the match with their Group B rivals sniffing vulnerability.

Maniema capitalised on the pressure, with Jephta Kitambala Bola firing the hosts ahead and dreaming of an upset that could vault them into second place.

But Sundowns weren't ready to let their continental aspirations slip. Shalulile's header restored parity, and moments later, his tireless charge turned chaos into triumph as Exaucia Moanda Kia Moanda deflected the ball into his own net, gifting the Brazilians a vital win.

The victory pushes Sundowns level on eight points with AS FAR, who face Raja later in a high-stakes clash. Should AS FAR win, Sundowns will book their place in the quarterfinals with a game to spare.

For Maniema Union, the loss marks the end of their Champions League journey, while Sundowns keep their African dream alive.

Victory secured! A hard-fought battle ends with Masandawana coming from behind to take the 3 points! ??AS Maniema (39’ Kitambala) 1???2?? Mamelodi Sundowns (83’ , 90+5’ Peter Shalulile) #Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL #RabatsenaGape pic.twitter.com/LMuxBxmLYP

Sundowns didn't take long to get an attacking threat going that nearly resulted in the opening goal.

Arthur Sales pounced on a deep-lying cross, beating the Maniema offside trap and had to just bypass the goalkeeper Brudel Liyongo, but his hesitation showed, and he scuffed his strike marginally wide.

Lucas Ribeiro and Marcelo